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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · can · bat · pass · mate · coach · sharp · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com